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View Full Version : Just voted for Ron Paul in Texas, and they said no Ron Paul t-shirts allowed




robertwerden
05-29-2012, 01:28 PM
Brought my wife and Daughter who just voted for the first time to vote for Ron Paul and they let us vote but told us there was a law that prohibited us from wearing Ron Paul shirts while voting.
I asked for the name of the law, but they did not know what it was. I tried looking it up on the Texas elections website but was unable to locate it.
I asked the guy in charge how any law could over ride the 1st amendment and he said he was just doing what he was told to do.

No1butPaul
05-29-2012, 01:30 PM
Brought my wife and Daughter who just voted for the first time to vote for Ron Paul and they let us vote but told us there was a law that prohibited us from wearing Ron Paul shirts while voting.
I asked for the name of the law, but they did not know what it was. I tried looking it up on the Texas elections website but was unable to locate it.
I asked the guy in charge how any law could over ride the 1st amendment and he said he was just doing what he was told to do.

You can't campaign in a polling place! He was doing his job.

The Goat
05-29-2012, 01:31 PM
Theirs a law in SC like that too. but they didn't pay attention or care what shirt we were wearing. My friend was hanging out at the preceint in a car that was plastered in Ron Paul, they came out after about 30 min. and said she had to leave since she was finished voting.

CoreyBowen999
05-29-2012, 01:31 PM
Yeah he was doing it correctly. You can campaign outside the polling area. (Does not mean I agree with it)

realtonygoodwin
05-29-2012, 01:33 PM
Yeah, that's pretty standard. No electioneering within so many feet of the polling location.

robertwerden
05-29-2012, 01:33 PM
This seems like one of those state laws that is a civil rights violation that no one gives a shit enough to change

Darguth
05-29-2012, 01:37 PM
They probably would say it falls under the following state code: http://law.onecle.com/texas/election/61.010.00.html

And no, I have no idea how this gets enforced despite rights to free speech. I'm not a lawyer, just relating the code that seems pertinent :) Maybe one of our legal eagles could give more insight on how electioneering prohibitions like these are historically viewed by the courts.

wgadget
05-29-2012, 01:37 PM
Is wearing a Romney shirt allowed?

specsaregood
05-29-2012, 01:37 PM
This seems like one of those state laws that is a civil rights violation that no one gives a shit enough to change

Seems like a good one to me. i suppose you woul have been happier if you showed up to vote and every single poll worker was wearing a romney shirt and handing out romney literature next to the ballots?

Lishy
05-29-2012, 01:40 PM
Is wearing a Romney shirt allowed?
This. Did anyone ask?

TonySutton
05-29-2012, 01:42 PM
I think those laws were written so that influential people could not stand at the door of the polling place with a button saying "vote x" knowing some people might be influenced. Like the owner of the bank who holds everyone's loans, the owner of the big business in town, etc. I am just guessing. It would be interesting to find out the real reason for those types of laws.

It might be good that every law written actually have a formal paragraph or so explaining the reasons behind it and I wish they ALL had an expiration date. It would keep congress busy.

alucard13mmfmj
05-29-2012, 01:43 PM
Can you wear an Obama t-shirt and go vote?

robertwerden
05-29-2012, 01:44 PM
Seems like a good one to me. i suppose you woul have been happier if you showed up to vote and every single poll worker was wearing a romney shirt and handing out romney literature next to the ballots?
I guess that would be the result of freedom.

jbauer
05-29-2012, 01:45 PM
In TN its 100 feet or yard I forget. But they put up signs that say no campaigning beyond this point. You can stand right on the dividing line all you want.

Liberty Eh
05-29-2012, 01:48 PM
If you're basing your vote on a button or a tshirt someone is wearing there are bigger problems here.

Many people can wear clothing without necessarily campaigning for their candidate. These people are not paid, they are simply voting with a tshirt on. That is starkly different from trying to convince people either verbally or with literature around the polling area.

specsaregood
05-29-2012, 01:49 PM
I guess that would be the result of freedom.

Way to avoid the answer.

robertwerden
05-29-2012, 01:55 PM
Way to avoid the answer.
The answer is yes, I would be ok with it, because that would mean I could do it too. I think freedom of speech should be protected no matter how offensive it may be to you. Sorry Specsaregood, but to me it is not a good law.

r3volution
05-29-2012, 01:56 PM
many states have similar laws .

No1butPaul
05-29-2012, 02:09 PM
Is wearing a Romney shirt allowed?

Too funny!
+ for the :)

papitosabe
05-29-2012, 02:11 PM
so what if you have Ron Paul tattoo'd on your forehead as I do? that means I can't vote?

DerailingDaTrain
05-29-2012, 02:13 PM
I've heard of this before. No shirts, signs, stickers, buttons, flyers, banners, inside but you can do it outside. Unless you're this guy:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8evMsDGlxKI

specsaregood
05-29-2012, 02:17 PM
The answer is yes, I would be ok with it, because that would mean I could do it too. I think freedom of speech should be protected no matter how offensive it may be to you. Sorry Specsaregood, but to me it is not a good law.

Well thats the beauty of keeping laws as local as possible; I think its a good law.

DRFilms1
05-29-2012, 02:26 PM
Is wearing a Romney shirt allowed?


Don't be silly. There is no such thing as a Romney shirt. :)

Pisces
05-29-2012, 02:38 PM
Just be glad what happened to this man didn't happen to you:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_uhQiQRaks

I generally agree with the law as well but think the arrest of this old man was ridiculous.

angelatc
05-29-2012, 02:40 PM
Brought my wife and Daughter who just voted for the first time to vote for Ron Paul and they let us vote but told us there was a law that prohibited us from wearing Ron Paul shirts while voting.
I asked for the name of the law, but they did not know what it was. I tried looking it up on the Texas elections website but was unable to locate it.
I asked the guy in charge how any law could over ride the 1st amendment and he said he was just doing what he was told to do.

Most states have that law. No electioneering within so many feet of the polls.

Austrian Econ Disciple
05-29-2012, 02:48 PM
Most states have that law. No electioneering within so many feet of the polls.

How again is wearing a T-shirt and going in to vote electioneering? What happens if you had a Ron Paul tattoo across your forehead, are they going to revoke your voting privileges?

specsaregood
05-29-2012, 02:56 PM
What happens if you had a Ron Paul tattoo across your forehead, are they going to revoke your voting privileges?

you should do just that. get the tattoo, let us know how it works out.

Austrian Econ Disciple
05-29-2012, 03:07 PM
you should do just that. get the tattoo, let us know how it works out.

I can't tell if you are being a condescending prick or not.

specsaregood
05-29-2012, 03:09 PM
I can't tell if you are being a condescending prick or not.

Of course not! But if even here at the Ron Paul Hive we can't find a Paul supporter willing to do the tattoo thing; then clearly it isn't a serious question.

Tod
05-29-2012, 03:14 PM
How again is wearing a T-shirt and going in to vote electioneering? What happens if you had a Ron Paul tattoo across your forehead, are they going to revoke your voting privileges?

A tee-shirt is no different than holding a sign. If you have a candidate's tattoo across your forehead, if they wanted to be strict about it, they would probably not allow you in until you get yourself a hat or some other covering for it.

I remember last election people were complaining about Black Panthers being around polling places intimidating voters. The reason for laws like this is to try to help eliminate the issue of intimidation. At various times throughout history, intimidation has been a serious problem.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIvPr4KnYo0

Austrian Econ Disciple
05-29-2012, 03:17 PM
A tee-shirt is no different than holding a sign. If you have a candidate's tattoo across your forehead, if they wanted to be strict about it, they would probably not allow you in until you get yourself a hat or some other covering for it.

I remember last election people were complaining about Black Panthers being around polling places intimidating voters. The reason for laws like this is to try to help eliminate the issue of intimidation. At various times throughout history, intimidation has been a serious problem.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIvPr4KnYo0

...it does not follow. You liken the threat of violence and coercion to...wearing a T-shirt. Good luck with that one.

RonRules
05-29-2012, 03:19 PM
In California you can have sign and wear your shirt 100 feet from the place where voting takes place. For those that have a partisan shirt, they have smocks you can wear over it while you vote.

Lishy
05-29-2012, 03:21 PM
I don't see anything wrong with this law. My concern is whether or not they discriminate between Paul and Romney.

NoOneButPaul
05-29-2012, 03:25 PM
...it does not follow. You liken the threat of violence and coercion to...wearing a T-shirt. Good luck with that one.

It's pretty obvious why they don't allow people to be loud about their candidates on the inside.

They've made these laws for a many variety of reasons and there's nothing wrong with them.

I find it way more absurd that although I live in an open primary state I have to choose which party to vote for instead of being able to vote for both. Laws like that have probably terribly hurt Ron, in Chicago where everyone and their mothers are democrats the republicans never run anyone in the primaries because they never win here so when I went to vote for Ron I had to decide between voting for ALL the local elections in the area or voting for Ron and Ron only (there were like 2 republicans on the ballot).

I of course picked Ron but then was unable to vote for anything locally because it's all democrat.

That's way more screwed up to me than this... keeping the voting place sacred and quiet is best for all. Intimidation, advertising, bribery, who knows what would go on if people were allowed to lobby in there...

ds21089
05-29-2012, 03:31 PM
Don't you love how they pick and choose which laws are enforced? Hey we can rig a bunch of primaries and illegally give money to Romney when he isn't the sole Republican running, but don't you dare wear a shirt in our voting centers!

It's probably for the same reason people are always told to never deal with politics and why politics in the workplace is a no no - If you interact with other people and get your source of political information from a person and not the MSM, well damn you just may well learn something and cast a good vote. We can't allow that now can we? :rolleyes:

Tod
05-29-2012, 03:36 PM
Don't you love how they pick and choose which laws are enforced?

what is this "they"? If you were participating in the election process, "they" would be "you".

J. W. Evans
05-29-2012, 03:36 PM
If you have a tattoo, unless it's small or unnoticeable, it's preferred you hide it from view.

I'm not sure about this particular polling station in Texas, but I can tell you I'm an equal-opportunity enforcer for mine. I don't let anyone mingle in the polling area with campaign literature, and unless they're using the bathroom, voting, or something along those lines, I'll remind the candidates themselves they're technically campaign literature.


I find it way more absurd that although I live in an open primary state I have to choose which party to vote for instead of being able to vote for both. Laws like that have probably terribly hurt Ron, in Chicago where everyone and their mothers are democrats the republicans never run anyone in the primaries because they never win here so when I went to vote for Ron I had to decide between voting for ALL the local elections in the area or voting for Ron and Ron only (there were like 2 republicans on the ballot).

I of course picked Ron but then was unable to vote for anything locally because it's all democrat.

That's way more screwed up to me than this...

That challenges the premise of "one (wo)man, one vote", which is why you must declare a single ballot.
I've gotten that question a number of times however from plenty of voters, so you're definitely one among many who aren't happy with how they decide your one ballot. The simple solution to that is to combine all of the ballots together and have a jungle-esque primary where the top vote-getter from every party and all independents carry on to the general election.

ronpaulgirl
05-29-2012, 03:41 PM
Voted for my man! Everyone still has 2 hours to get to the polls in Texas! Vote RonPaul (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003162372035) Put Mrs. Carol Wells Paul (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1378784746) in the White House!!! Texas has it in the bag for Ron Paul & we have the delegate numbers needed in every county! Finally Texas and California can show who is really going to win this thing in the end. See you in tampa. Please go vote. You need no I.D. to vote, Eric holder made sure that would not be necessary. So just go to your local polling station now. Please :)
(from my facebook page) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPL1lG0Xx9c

ds21089
05-29-2012, 03:41 PM
what is this "they"? If you were participating in the election process, "they" would be "you".

The RNC doesn't determine the rules of primaries and caucuses?

thatpeculiarcat
05-29-2012, 03:53 PM
Christ, next they're gonna say voting for Paul is illegal because the voter is campaigning.

This is just plain fucking stupid.

WeThePeople777
05-29-2012, 04:27 PM
I don't remember if I wore my 08 Ron Paul stuff but I'm sure I did. I will do it again with 12 stuff. We'll see how that goes. In CA.

The Free Hornet
05-29-2012, 04:51 PM
I can't tell if you are being a condescending prick or not.


Of course not! But if even here at the Ron Paul Hive we can't find a Paul supporter willing to do the tattoo thing; then clearly it isn't a serious question.

Specs, maybe because you're not 5 years old:

http://www.temporarytattoos.com/

This can be a campaign item or group buy next time. I'd wear it and I'd get it for nephews/nieces etc.

Wear it to the poll in the morning and carry a headband to cover it up if they make a BFD.

cocrehamster
05-29-2012, 04:58 PM
Is wearing a Romney shirt allowed?

Are there people who actually wear Romney shirts?

MikeStanart
05-29-2012, 05:02 PM
I don't care who it is; if you're an Obama, Romney, or even a Paul supporter. If you are campaigning within 100 feet of the polling location I will tell you you're breaking election laws; and if you refuse to leave / cover it up; I'll call the cops myself.

(In Texas at least. I believe it to be a legitimate law)

CPUd
05-29-2012, 05:02 PM
Not too long ago, they didn't need campaign signs around the polling areas. Some guys stood outside with shotguns (before the voting booths had curtains), and that's how they campaigned.